View full sizePeter Chen / Post-Standard file photSharon Jack-Williams is stepping down from the Dunbar Association in a cost-cutting move.

Syracuse, N.Y. -- The executive director of the Dunbar Association Inc. is leaving the organization in a cost-saving move by the Syracuse nonprofit that serves the black community.

Dunbar, which operates the Dunbar Center at 1453 S. State St., announced today Sharon Jack-Williams will be replaced on an interim basis by Louella Williams, who is stepping down as president of Dunbar’s board of directors. Steve Williams, vice president of Dunbar’s board, is replacing Louella Williams as board president.

Dunbar has financial problems. It will lose about $200,000 in annual funding from the United Way July 1. The United Way cut off Dunbar because of concerns over its governance and management. The United Way was unhappy with attendance at Dunbar’s board meetings, the work of the board’s fundraising and finance committees and strategic planning. In recent years Dunbar’s revenues have been declining and it has been operating in the red.

Jack-Williams has been executive director of Dunbar for eight years.

“As the board and I explored the fiscal situation of the organization I saw that it was going to be very difficult to maintain the executive director position at its current pay scale,” Jack-Williams said in a prepared statement. “Saving staff positions and maintaining client programming was extremely important.” Jack-Williams said she decided “ ... that transitioning the position at this time would be in the best interest of the agency in its attempt to address the current fiscal problems.”

Dunbar did not disclose the salary for that position and officials of the organization were not immediately available for comment. In a 2007 IRS form 990 report Dunbar reported her annual salary as $64,000.

Steve Williams is a corporate human resource support manager at United Parcel Service Inc. He is also a board member of the Syracuse Community Health Center and is board chairman of the Four Square Gospel Group. He also is a former recipient of services from Dunbar.

Dunbar was founded 92 years ago as a settlement house named after African-American poet Paul Dunbar. It operates after school programs, provides emergency food services and other programs for youth, families and senior citizens. It serves about 5,500 people annually. It has about 25 employees.